Ezr 4 | EngLXX | STEP | And they that afflicted Juda and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity werebuilding a house to the Lord God of Israel.

‏ Ezra 4

1 And they that afflicted Juda and Benjamin heard, that the children of the captivity werebuilding a house to the Lord God of Israel. 2 And they drew near to Zorobabel, and to the heads of families, and said to them, We willbuild with you; for as you⌃do, we seekto serve our God, and we do sacrifice to him from the days of Asaradan king of Assur, who broughtus hither. 3 then Zorobabel, and Jesus and the rest of the heads of the families of Israel said tothem,It is not for us and you to build a house to our God, for we ourselves will build togetherto the Lord our God, as Cyrus the king of the Persians commanded us. 4 And the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Juda, and hindered themin building, 5 andcontinued hiringpersons against them, plotting to frustrate their counsel, all the days of Cyrus king of thePersians, and until the reign of Darius king of the Persians. 6 And in the reign of Assuerus, even in the beginning of his reign, they wrote a letteragainst the inhabitants of Juda and Jerusalem. 7 And in the days of Arthasastha, Tabeel wrote peaceably to Mithradates and to the restof his fellow-servants: the tribute-gatherer wrote to Arthasastha king of the Persians a writing in theSyrian tongue, andthe same interpreted. 8 Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe wrote an epistle against Jerusalem to KingArthasastha,saying, 9 Thus has judged Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and the rest of our fellow-servants,the Dinaeans, the Apharsathachaeans, the Tarphalaeans, the Apharsaeans, the Archyaeans, the Babylonians,the Susanachaeans, Davaeans, 10 and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Assenaphar removed, and settledthem in the cities of Somoron, and the restof them beyond the river. 11 Thisis the purport of the letter, which they sent to him: Your servants the men beyond the riverto king Arthasastha. 12 Be it known to the king, that the Jews who came up from you to us have come to Jerusalemthe rebellious and wicked city, which they are building, and its walls are set in order, and they haveestablished the foundations of it. 13 Now then be it known to the king, that if that city be built up, and its walls completed,you shall have no tribute, neither will they payanything, and this injures kings. 14 And it is not lawful for us to see the dishonor of the king: therefore have we sent andmade knownthe matter to the king; 15 That examination may be made in your fathers' book of record; and you shall find, andyou shall know that cityis rebellious, and does harm to kings and countries, and there are in the midst of it fromvery old time refuges forrunaway slaves: therefore this city has been made desolate. 16 We therefore declare to the king, that, if that city be built, and its walls be set up,you shall not have peace. 17 Then the king sent to Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and the rest of theirfellow-servants who lived in Samaria, and the rest beyond the river,saying,Peace; and he says, 18 The tribute-gatherer whom you⌃ sent to us, has been called before me. 19 And a decree has been made by me, and we have examined, and found that city of old timeexalts itself against kings, and that rebellions and desertions take place within it. 20 And there were powerful kings in Jerusalem, and they ruled over all thecountry beyond the river, and abundant revenues and tribute were given to them. 21 Now therefore make a decree to stop the work of those men, and that city shall no morebe built. 22 See that you⌃ be careful of the decree,not to be remiss concerning this matter, lest at any time destruction should abound to theharm of kings. 23 Then the tribute-gatherer of king Arthasastha readthe letter before Reum the chancellor, and Sampsa the scribe, and his fellow-servants: andthey went in haste to Jerusalem and through Juda, and caused them to cease with horses and anarmed force. 24 Then ceased the work of the house of God in Jerusalem, and it was at a stand until thesecond year of the reign of Darius king of the Persians.